Is that not how it should look?
by geminiangel1964
Summary: Gift for ashes ofeden at AO3. In response to her prompt in the HPprompts collection. Not canon/epilogue compliant. If I liked the character, they lived... LOL


PROMPT:

A few years after all the drama was over, Hermione Granger and some others planned a reunion for everyone. In a show of house unity and buried muggle-hatred, everyone had to do something a little artsy.

Harry didn't quite get the hang of it.

Idk I just wanna see the gang making art stuff like baskets or something and Harry (can be changed to Draco) having trouble and having Draco (or Harry) help him because /goddammit you're making a mess, you twat!/

STORY:

"Hermione!"

Rolling her shoulders, she took a deep breath. That was Padma's voice. She just knew it and walked a tad faster. Having a reunion had sounded like a great idea. With the changes occurring in the Wizarding World, it had been easy to sell the thought of doing it the "muggle way" for a unique twist.

"Don't you walk away from me!"

Curses! Foiled again! Taking a deep breath, she turned with a smile. "Do you need more greenery?" Padma's group was making wreaths for the center of each table. It would be used to fragrance and to encircle the candles and topiaries other groups were working on.

"What I need is for you to get him. Out. Of. My. Group." Padma demanded.

"Now, Padma, I'm sure that…"

Padma held up a wad of …. Something. "Does this look like a wreath to you?" In her other hand was a tangled silver ball.

"Is that for hanging?"

"This." Padma's tone turned icy. "This is the wire dispenser that he was supposed to use to cut into eight inch lengths so that we could use it to weave the greenery. "Since you confiscated all our wands, we'll be needed an another dispenser of wire."

"Maybe he could work with the ribbons." Hermione offered. Padma simply pointed. Seeing the bits of ribbon around the messy table that earlier had been nice, neat and orderly. The group that had been efficiently working were now sneaking glares at the culprit. "He could…"

"He goes. Or I do."

"Alright." Hermione looked around in desperation before following Padma to the wreath table. "Harry, do you think you could help me with something?"

Harry looked up from where he was happily stabbing something with wire. "Sure. That is, if Padma doesn't need me for a bit."

"No!" Padma softened her tone. "I mean, please, I'm sure Hermione needs you more. Go right ahead."

Harry rose leaving his unfinished something behind. "What do you need?"

"Balloons." Hermione was inspired. "Professor Flitwick and some of his graduates are working on clusters of balloons to decorate with. They're in the small antechamber right outside the main doors. It has a stasis charm so that they can move the balloons in the tomorrow without losing the helium. Could you be a dear?" Harry bounced off happily, while Hermione rubbed the sides of her face.

"You look like you could use a cup of tea." Professor McGonagall handed one to her. "I see wreath making didn't work out."

"No."

"Who's in danger…I mean, who's he helping next?"

"Professor Flitwick." Hermione took a long sip.

"Let's see, that's uh… helping Hagrid lay carpet in the main hall."

"That reminds me. I should run down to the infirmary and see how his ankle is."

"Poppy says it was a simple break. He'll be up and around in no time. What was next?...Ah, the patio."

Hermione had suggested a small patio off the great hall for dance breaks. The boys had jumped right in laying pavers. Harry had been taken off pavers when his enthusiasm kept snapping them or burying them. Instead, they had appointed him to make a fire pit for warmth.

"Was Poppy able to regrow Ron's hair and eyebrows?" Minerva asked.

"She's still working on it."

"I believe you then had him working with Dean's group. They're working on the electrics, I believe."

"Electronics. They are hooking up a disc jockey area for music for tomorrow evening."

"Using a genanator?" Minerva struggled for the correct word.

"Generator for power. Yes." Hermione supplied.

"How are Blaise and Eddie?"

"Poppy said they'll be fine by tomorrow night. Luckily, Dean threw the kill switch as quickly as possible after Harry plugged in the wrong plug."

"Let's see then it was… Oh, yes, Severus."

"I really didn't say how he could mess up candles. Just dip and hang."

"I'm sure Severus will forgive you…. Eventually." Minerva smirked. Three melted cauldrons of scented wax made the whole potions classroom smell like a French Bordello. Worse, according to Severus, was the cauldron that had exploded in his face. His normally pale skin had a distinctly reddish tint; his hair had to be cut shorter and washed multiple times. The Potions professor was currently hiding in his rooms. "Pomona may be a different story."

"All he had to do was to carry the flowers up from the greenhouse. I even let him use a wagon I conjured. Has she figured out what the spitting daisies are spitting yet?"

"She hasn't really been able to get into the greenhouse yet, however, she suspects that is where the puffapods ended up. Pomona borrowed Neville to try to save some of the mandrakes from the fire seed bush. It likes him better. I would suggest that Mr. Potter consider a large donation to the Herbology department and the kitchen."

"I was so sure that Dobby would be able to find something easy for him to do. It was making a fruit bowl for Merlin's sake."

"With a knife." Minerva reminded her.

Hermione sighed. "He is having so much fun but he's just so…"

BOOM!

"Oh, bloody hell! Now what's he done?" Hermione didn't even respond to Minerva's scandalized "Miss Granger". She was too busy sprinting for the antechamber.

"Oh, dear." Minerva stopped in the door of the great hall and started to laugh. The door to the antechamber had blown off and Hermione was surrounded by a dozen graduates talking like chipmunks on speed pointing at a dark-haired menace. Balloon bunches were escaping the room and Hermione just managed to grab Flitwick's ankle as he headed for the seventh floor tangled in several clusters.

It took volunteers nearly an hour to set the chamber to rights again. Poppy helped 'ungas' the students so they were speaking normally. Dean and Seamus had done a supply run, purchasing more balloons, flower wire, a large amount of greenery since the greenhouse could still not be entered, candle wax and new helium tanks. Harry's assistance was declined, his donation for supplies was not. Harry was currently on the seventh floor trying to recapture the balloons with a long handled butterfly net Hermione had given him. She was able to track him by the popping of the balloons and the clatter of suits of armor.

"Looking a bit weary, Granger. Ready to admit defeat and just do it the old-fashioned way."

"I am not." Hermione snapped at Draco as he gave her a smug look.

"The golden boy isn't so golden at the moment."

"He just hasn't found the right fit." Hermione protested, dreading the thought that there was no right fit.

"He's a mongoose in the crystal."

"You mean, bull in a china hop."

"No." Draco pointed to where Harry was now hanging by one hand from the chandelier in the great hall, just as the butterfly net plummeted seven stories to shatter on the stone. "I think Wingardium Leviosa may be required unless you would like to see him splattered on the stone."

"Harry, hang on. Get McGonagall, quick."

The entire group of graduates watched as Professor McGonagall carefully floated him from the chandelier to the moving staircase.

"Would I be a horrible friend if I wished for the stair case to get stuck there?" Hermione muttered.

"Yes. But it might be safer for everyone else. I don't understand how anyone can be so good on a broom…" Draco started.

"That's it." Hermione smiled. "Harry, as soon as you're done there, I need a bit of help."

"I'll be right there!"

"Granger, I don't know what you're planning but let me be the first to say it'll never work. Second, didn't you say no magic?"

"Look you said yourself he's good on a broom. He won't be using magic to do the job, just using the broom instead of a ladder." Hermione and Draco both shuddered at that thought.

"It's a disaster waiting to happen."

"He will be perfect for it."

"Want to bet?" Draco smirked.

"Why not?"

"Huh?"

"Since you're so smart. Why don't you come up with a project for him?"

"A wager. Between us then. After he fails at your task, I'll take him to help with my project. In fact, I'll give you the rest of my team. When the two of us finish my project, you admit that I'm better at organizing than you."

"Are you still upset that I was elected to organize the reunion? That is so petty." Hermione said angrily.

"Bock. Bock. Bock."

"Fine then." Hermione stuck out her hand and they shook. "We'll see which of us is better when it comes to organizing Harry."

"I'll be waiting in the room off the main table." Draco said jauntily. "See you soon."

"Are you sure that wager's wise?" Minerva gestured at Malfoy's retreating back.

"Perhaps not but… If I have to deal with one more disaster." Hermione rubbed her temples.

Recognizing the symptoms of Weasley Twin Syndrome, Minerva discretely slipped her a headache potion.

"Hermione, sorry about the helium. I've never worked one of those valve things before and once it got stuck I just tapped it and…"

"Not a problem, Harry. Dean and Seamus are going to take over for a while. Poppy took Professor Flitwick down to the infirmary for a calming draught. I thought you could help with these." Hermione held up a box full of delicate metal chairs on decorative chain.

"They're beautiful." Harry went to pick one up and managed to tangle several chains together.

"Lavender is going to help you." Hermione grabbed the girl as she went past.

"Help, oh…no."

"She's going to pick them up one at a time and hand them to you." Hermione held Lavender's arm tightly so she couldn't escape.

"What are they?" Lavender was drawn to the delicate metal work.

"I managed to get some fairies to promise to come sit in them tonight to provide some more light. Now all that has to happen is for Lavender to pick one up. You will hand it to Harry who will slip this," Hermione held a delicate three-quarter moon, "over a beam. Repeat until you run out."

"How am I going to get them up there? You said no magic."

"Since we don't have a high enough ladder, I though you could use a school broom to hang them."

Harry smiled broadly. "No need. I happened to bring my broom along. Accio firebolt."

"Harry, no! No magic." Hermione screeched. "Look out!" The greenery table had finish a lovely arch to frame the great hall doors. That is, until a firebolt rammed through it as they went to climb ladders to attach it.

"Ooops. Sorry. I could help them…"

"No! No, I'll… I'll help them. Just concentrate on the fairy swings." Hermione turned her back and counted to ten, then twenty, then fifty. As she headed to face Padma's anger, she debated going to the infirmary for a headache potion, but didn't want to face all Harry's victims. Perhaps, she could ask Snape for a headache potion but a picture of his potions room covered in fragrant wax flashed through her mind. He'd just poison, but for a second looking at Padma, that didn't seem like the worst possibility especially when she heard a collision up above, the tinkle of metal and an "I'm sorry" floating down.

"Hermione, I don't think I'd be good with topiaries." Harry protested. "Look what happened with the flowers."

"We aren't using flowers." Hermione explained. "Wizarding flowers don't take well to being beheaded or plucked."

"What are they using?"

Hermione stopped for a minute. "I'm not exactly certain." She went to open the chamber door but found it locked. "That's strange." She knocked briskly.

"Ah…my new team member," Draco drawled. "Alright, everyone out." His group of mostly Slytherins slipped out without widening the door opening.

"Malfoy."

"Potter. Well, come on in. We've got a lot to do." Draco motioned for him to slide by. "Ah…ah…ah… not you, Granger."

"I want to check your progress."

"Nope. You'll see them when we finish."

"But, I…" Hermione found the door shut and locked in her face. She went for her wand and cursed. She had given her wand to McGonagall also as a show of confidence. She considered pounding on the door and demanding entrance but gathered her dignity and walked back through the room to try to help the various groups salvage their projects in the wake of Cyclone Harry. At least, she'd have maybe fifteen minutes before Draco called uncle.

An hour later, Hermione was occasionally the chamber door as she helped reweave the arch. Two hours later, she was casting curious glances as she helped hook non-helium balloons to the balloon arches that would add color to the walls. Three hours later, she was casting fretful looks at the door. No screams of pain, no explosions, no angry project leader. She was very frightened for Harry. So much that she almost electrocuted Dean.

"I can't believe that you left Draco and Harry in a room alone, together." If Hermione heard that once, she'd heard it a dozen times in the past three hours.

"Not a word?" Minerva asked.

"No. If they had their wands, I'd be worried that they stunned one another or worse."

Minerva held a flesh-colored object out. "Perhaps, you should…."

"That's a Weasley Extendable Ear. I couldn't." Hermione protested. "Oh, who am I kidding? Give me the blasted thing."

Unfortunately, that was thwarted by a privacy ward. "Blast." Minerva said.

"Professor!"

Minerva quirked her eyebrow. "I'm just has curious as you are. We're liable to find that one of them has wordlessly transformed the other into a flobberworm. What time is quitting time?"

"All groups are to finish their individual assignments by six." Hermione cast a quick tempus. "That's about another hour. After that, we seal the grand hall until tomorrow night."

"What about what's not finished, like the balloons?"

"The elves have agreed that they will pop them in tomorrow before the doors open. They will also use the sample table," Hermione pointed to it in the corner, "to set up the other tables after they are arranged." It had been easier to remove most of the table for workspace.

"Relax. I'm sure it will be fine."

By ten of six, the various projects had come to a halt. Even Dobby and some of the elves had appeared in the great hall waiting for Harry and Draco to appear. Seamus appeared to be taking bets on which of the two would be carried out and how big a disaster it would be.

Hermione alternated double checking tables and walking past the door. Minerva stood nearby, wand in hand, ready to alohamora the door. When the click of the lock was heard, everyone focused on the door. It proved anti-climactic. The door swung inwards, showing Draco and Harry sitting side by side still working. A nearby table was full of beautiful colorful topiaries.

"God-dammit, Harry, you're making a mess, you twat!" Draco picked up a small ball that had rolled into his area. He tossed it back at him. Harry immediately dipped it and applied it to his foam form.

"It's the wrong color."

"Is that not how it should look?" Harry asked, tilting his head for a look.

"Does it look like mine?"

"Yours is bigger," Harry whined.

"If you were better and faster, yours would be bigger, too."

"But yours is almost finished."

"Work faster."

"You're being mean."

"You're being an idiot." Draco looked as the pouty green eyes. "Fine. Here, we'll swap." Harry happily handed his topiary over and began to work on Draco's.

"Ew… Yours is all sticky. Do you have to get that icing everywhere?" Harry snickered as he began laying what Herimone realized were candy on the form. "Don't mess up the pattern I have going, you twat." Draco fussed. "Now look you made my finger's all sticky."

"Where?"

Draco held his finger up showing the icing. Harry took ahold of Draco's finger and sucked it in to his mouth; licking the icing off slowly. "Better?"

"For now."

"Call Poppy." Minerva called as she knelt beside Hermione who had fainted. "Just tell her, Harry struck again."


End file.
